New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is "going to stay" with pitcher A.J. Burnett this season.

Cashman attended an event at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut on Tuesday and was asked some tough questions about the underachieving pitcher.

"Brian, do you feel comfortable with A.J. Burnett this year?" Cashman was asked by a young fan.

"I am comfortable with A.J...he's extremely talented and has been inconsistent, but I can tell you I'm comfortable with the effort he's giving...as long as he's not going to give up on himself, then I'm going to have his back the entire way," responded Cashman.

Burnett has gone 21-26 over the last two seasons with an ERA above 5.00.

The Yankees have a deeper pitching staff heading into spring training this year and have seven starting pitchers competing for five spots in the rotation. The additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda gives the Yankees more options to consider. CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova should round out the top four starters in the rotation. Burnett will be in a fight for the final spot with Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia.